


The Other Path

by AlliceLie



Category: Bravely Default (Video Game) & Related Fandoms
Genre: Betrayal AU, M/M, Spoilers For The Entire Game
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-01
Updated: 2016-06-01
Packaged: 2018-07-11 13:10:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7053106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlliceLie/pseuds/AlliceLie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yew fights against the empire for their happy ending, but as the multiverse of Bravely Default already pointed out, no two worlds are the same.</p><p>While we have played the heroic Yew Geneolgia who fought for the Agnès Avengers there is also a world where he must fight against them, as part of Kaiser's dream. And it's all thanks to one question that should have been asked.</p><p>"W-why Janne? What do you plan to accomplish by betraying the Crystal Guard? Us?”</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Other Path

**Author's Note:**

> I always did wondered what would happen it Yew took Janne's offer. So here's overly shippy take on it. I hope you'll enjoy this work and please comment.

It is common knowledge in our strange universe that different choices lead to alternate worlds. These differences branch out and winding into different realities; some dimensions are similar while other are vastly different. What a man might do in one world the same man could never even conceive to think of acting in another. Such strange events cause men with a scholar’s mind to yearn for the root of such anomalies. Though the art of traveling through the worlds is forbidden due to the effect it would have on the four crystals it doesn’t stop them from wondering about the worlds of “what ifs” that their actions made to other worlds and vice versa.

The story of Luxendarc is a tale that many are familiar with, but what if one occurrence changed? It is nearly impossible to measure the difference in the worlds on just one event alone but what of a thought, an inkling, of a better way to resolve a problem? Now that will change the course of time in catastrophic ways. Thoughts become words, words become actions and therefore have consequences.

This is what happened to a child, who almost became a man, when the word, “Why?” appeared in his head when confronted by the betrayal of his closest friend. That lingering “Why?” soon turned into “Why would he do this?” Which sobbed out as,

“W-why Janne? What do you plan to accomplish by betraying the Crystal Guard? Us?”

Yew Genealogia is this child and his best friend is Janne Angard. In the depths of the Pilgrims Grove where bodies of their allies’ corpses were strewn around them, a question was asked and a question was answered. No being could have known what the answer entails for the intertwining strings of destiny. If it wasn’t for this very moment this world’s Yew Genealogia would go on to have and adventure that everyone recognizes. He would have joined the past heroes of light and found love with an exotic and courageous woman from the moon. He would have the courage to try again in the face of despair and fit with a concrete faith. He would have become the strong leader he secretly believed he could not ever be and become the hero he never knew of wanting to be. Unfortunately, the course of this world’s Yew isn’t what the other one was.

The handsome dark-haired man stands with the sword to petit brunet’s neck stills at the question. Green eyes widen a fraction then suddenly narrow as they stare mockingly into terrified pools of sapphire. The blade turned warm under Yew’s chin as he remains helpless to the fencing prodigy and could only wait for Janne to do something, say anything. The blade lowers cautiously slow to the Cavalier’s throat and the menacing scowl on the hardened face becomes an asinine smirk the both are accustomed to.

“I tell you to join me and you ask for my reasons?” A snort escapes him, “That’s so like you, Yew. Always the scholar. It would have been better if you stuck with that instead.”

Yew said nothing, his eyes leaking to halt a breakdown for as long as possible.

“This world is rotten.” Janne continues, lowering his blade to the skin of his chest. “But the empire is going to change it. We’ll go back and right the wrongs of this world and create a new one. Haven’t you ever wanted to go back and change something you did or prevent something from happening?”

“Yes, I have.” The boy mind supplies and his thoughts immediately remind him of Denys, but instead of letting the words flow he nervously he nods his head carefully.

The blade lightens up on his skin as the dark haired one eyes relax. “We can do that. If you join us, join me, then all the life that have been lost and will be lost will be brought back alive and healthy into a world where everything is right. We’ll all be together! You, Nikolai, and I will work together with other who suffered in this world’s mistakes and make it right. Just take my hand and things will be better than ever.”

 A gloved hand reaches out to Yew, who is conflicted and confuse, pleading with him to take it. Hands that use to protect him from bullies and comforted him by patting him on the back when he cried is now giving him an option; take Janne’s hand or die. With his thoughts distressed and thinking of a solution to make Janne stay, stall the time they still have together if only for a moment. Yew couldn’t really imagine a world without either of his companions, his friends, the Three Cavaliers.

“But what of Sir Nikolai? Surely he wouldn’t agree to this because it sounds too obtuse to be true.” the small boy thinks as his vision tunnels to the strong hand stretched out in front of him.

“Sir Nikolai! What abo-“

“He’s already on our side. Heck, he’s the one to convince me all those years ago.”

“What?!?” Yew screams in his head. “Sir Nikolai has been like a father to me, more than my own. He’s one of the wisest people I know. If he can agree to this then there has to be something to this plan. And if I don’t take his hand I’ll fight against them both alone. Could I really do that without anyone on my side or a strategy?”

With a shaky hand, he instinctively reaches out to the other when a female’s voice yells out to him.

“Don’t do it, Yew!”

“Huh?!?” The two look around for the owner when the two pair of eyes finally lands on the necklace on the Cavalier’s neck. Inside the of jewelry he made with the piece of Pope Agnès gem.

“Your Holiness?” Yew gasps with a jump as they stare at the beautiful brunet projected in the blue gem.

“Don’t do it, Yew, this is not the way to the peace the world needs. Just run away from here and we’ll think of a plan together!” Agnès implored the young male. “Run away, Yew!”

“I-I’ll- Ack!” Yew begins but never finished.

Abruptly the saber at his chest swiftly nicks his skin cutting the troublesome piece of jewelry from his neck and takes it in hand with a vice grip. “You stop that! I don’t know how you’re doing this but I’m not letting you ruin Yew more than your corrupt orthodoxy or crystal guards already have! I’m getting rid of you once and for all!”

With that said Janne throws the jewel into a nearby river with all his strength to hopefully rid Agnès influence on Yew.

“Pope Agnès!”

“Yeeeeeew!” Was the last thing they could hear from her as the necklace plops into roaring rapids that on his left.

Janne turns his attention back to his friend and reaches out again. “Well Yew, what will it be?” He asked darkly gripping his sword.

What was he supposed to do? Yew was scared, alone, confused, and curious. With all those differing emotions together he softly places his hand in the larger on, his eyes never leaving that place where his Pope cried out his name with a tight heart.

The Fencer smiles in a way that to others it appears to look like an arrogant sneer, but the now ex-Cavalier knows otherwise. Janne grips the smaller hand in his and pulls him along to the outside of the forest with new confidence. “This is great! I knew I was right about you. We’re going to meet Nikolai and then tell the Kaiser.”

Yew turned to his friend with unsure eyes, loosening his grip on the other’s hand. Janne let go of his hand and viewed his smaller friend with piercing green eyes. He could immediately tell what was going on in the brunette’s mind. “You won’t regret this, we’re going to change the world.”

He just stared ahead at the back of the long wild hair in front of him, wishing the words just spoken to be true, but Yew can’t shake off the feeling of guilt eating way at his soul. To give himself at least a little reassurance Yew trots up to Janne and walked closely next to him. He fidgeted his hands on the leather of his sheath for a few minutes, making quiet tapping noises in the process, annoying his companion.

“Yew, calm down.” The fencer groaned as he took larger paces and Yew follows with quivering legs.

The brunet couldn’t seem to calm down. He was the kind of person whose mind usually runs a mile a minute. He took Janne’s hand without thinking! How senseless was that? He just so used to sticking with him and Nikolai that he didn’t really think about it. Sure he has a reason and Crystal guard doesn’t have the best track record, but he could have stayed and tried his best to make things better. What he heard, what he saw, what he was feeling, and the weight of what they’ve just done settled in his stomach all at once. Like a stone crushing an insect tears of distress started falling from his face.

“But what will happen to us? To the crystal guards, I mean? What if we got captured? W-what if we-”

Janne stopped for a minute, causing Yew to crash into him, and sighed. “Yew,” he said in an exhausted tone, “What did I just tell you?”

“To calm down.” He swallowed.

“Before that.” The black haired male growled, ferociously wiping tears from Yew’s eyes with his rough sleeve.

With a now scratchy red face Yew replies, “I won’t regret this and-”

“That’s right. You won’t regret this and if anything happens to you I’ll just have to save your scrawny butt like I always do.” With that Janne started heading for the exit of the grove again.

“Hey wait!” He shouts running up to his taller friend. “I can protect myself!”

“You keep telling yourself that and I’ll keep proving your wrong.”

A few hours later, about half way back to town from the forest, it suddenly occurred to Yew that since Sir Nikolai is part of the empire he’s probably attacking the Sanctum and the injured knight instead of helping them. The imagery of the kind man doing something so barbaric began to make the weight on his guts suddenly come back full force. He started to feel nauseous when he thought about going back to his home and most likely never coming back again.

When Yew and Janne got back to Gathelatio Alfred, Yew’s loyal butler and caretaker, was right at the entrance of the city waiting for them with an alarmed face.

“Master Yew! Oh thank heavens you’re safe, and you too mister Angard!”

Yew looked at the aging man with worry and fear when he’s about to tell Alfred what he just agreed to. The man was like family and it would break his heat to know what he is about to do to his name as the head of the Genealogia house. The boy knows that Alfred at least has the right to know that he’s joining the empire.

“A-Alfred I…I-I ne-” he starts but the words won’t come out properly. “I –I have to-.”

 “Sorry Oldman. Yew is my prisoner now because I work for the Skyhold!” Janne states, startling Yew and his butler.

“What?! Master Ye-!”

“Not today Alfred!” He hits the back of the man’s head with the hilt of his sword rendering him unconscious.

Yew stares at his fallen servant on the ground and rushed to his side. He put his hand on his neck to check for a wound. Finding no wound he turned to his friend with an upset look in his eyes. “Janne! Why did you do that?”

The wild-haired fencer put his sword in his sheath and give Yew an unreadable look. He walks over to where Alfred is and leaned him along the gates of the covered city entrance off of the cold ground. “It’s better for him to believe that you’re being forced to do the task we’re going to ask you do to for our cause than for him to know you did it willingly.” He said pulling Yew up and patting his shoulder of fictional dust.

“I know how much his opinion means to you, but if we do this then you’ll never have even made this decision in the first place.”

Yew sadly nods his head with glassy eyes in with shame because no matter what the outcome would have been he wanted to tell Alfred the truth. They sprinted away to the Sanctum where even more bodies of past comrades lay on the floor. Nikolai also laid on the floor at the end of the church bewilderingly enough.

“Sir Nikolai!” Yew screeched as he ran to his friend. The boy kneeled down to prop his companion up in his arms. Even though he probably killed those knights Yew couldn’t bring himself to be fearful of him. “Sir Nikolai, what happened?”

“Master Yew…” the large gentleman croaks out in a raspy voice.

“Old man? Why are one the floor? Don’t tell me that they got a good hit in or something like that. I thought you were better than that.” Janne chastises as he strides up to the pair on the ground from behind Yew with his eyebrow raised.

“Janne? What are you doing here?”

The aforementioned male crossed his arms with his signature scowl on his face before a subtle softness of the eyes caught both of their attention.

“I see what you were trying to do you sly Oldman.” He says shaking his head with a smirk. “There’s no need to hide it. I told Yew everything.”

“Janne!” The Bishop hollers, standing up with so much force he knocks the petite boy over. “How could you tell him?! I thought we agreed to keep Master Yew out of this! How in the world could you be so reckless? So idiotic? Are you betraying the empi-!”

“Woah, wait a minute! Don’t accuse me of betraying the Kaiser Oblivion! I convinced him to join us.” the prodigy huffed in a haughty manner.

Nikolai froze, stunned by what his ally just told him. Yew got back on his feet, a tiny bit annoyed that both of his friends were trying to “protect” him this entire time but was more overcome that the usually calm holy man was so furious. He never got so emotional like this.

Precipitously getting out of his stupor he continued his chastising of the wild teen.

“You what? Now that’s even worse! You’re essentially enlisting him in the front lines! When we get back to the Skyhold you are getting the tongue-lashing of a lifetime young man!” He grabs Janne by the ear and trudges him over to the exit as he picks up Yew over his shoulder.

“And don’t think I’m not going to reprimand you young Master Yew. What in crystals name were you thinking to agree to something so outrageous.” Nikolai asks in a calm but stern voice.

“Oh you yell at me, but not him? I see how it is Oldma- OW! My ears going to fall off!”

“Janne, I’m not asking you at the moment but Master Yew. When it is your turn I promise that you’ll get what’s coming to you.”

“Sir Nikolai, I’m sorry,” Yew said over his shoulder. “But I just wanted to….to… uh?”

“Denys.” His mind supplied for him. Yew thought a little more on the subject and wondered if that’s the only reason? His friends are another reason because without them already being there he wouldn’t even think about joining. He feels like there’s something else but it isn’t clear.

“My brother.” Yew whimpered at the memory.

“I see.” And he left it at that. Everyone in the Crystal Guards knew who Denys was. It wasn’t even that long ago when he was the anticipated future leader of the Three Cavaliers, not him. Not many people knew what happen to him by the disappeared, except Yew because it was his fault.

It was a silent walk out if the city and through Pilgrims Grove. Some hours passed and yet no one said a word. Being too engrossed into their own thoughts to speak. The quietness felt heavy and for the young Genealogia he was suffocating, no matter how many deep breaths he took.

“Hey, Yew,” Janne said breaking the muteness. “Look down.”

Against his better judgment, the brunet did look down and promptly screamed like a girl.

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!” They were walking directly on a bridge over deathly roaring rapids! He instantly clung to the large man’s shoulder like a baby, nearly cutting off the circulation in his right shoulder.

“Janne, why did you do that? He’s right next to my ear.” The bishop asked with an exasperated sigh.

“Hey, you’re the one manhandling innocent teenage boys. I’m just letting feel my pain.” He retorted with a sneer.

“Don’t forget young man, I still have your ear hostage.”  Nikolai reminded with a pull.

“Ow! Okay, okay I give! Let go, it’s been two or three hours.” the fencer pleaded as he attempts to regain control of his ear.

It wasn’t much longer until it was almost too dark to go on. Even though they were almost at the end of the forest it was too dangerous to move on. Plus Nikolai seemed insistent on carrying Yew most of the way so he must be tired.

“We should stop here for the time being and continue tomorrow.”

Yew was lifted by his underarms and gently put him down on the ground to see their resting place. His eyes widen a bit at the sight, but he mostly held his reaction in. It was his tent. The place he discovered his entire he was betrayed. Could Yew be really still be betrayed if he joined them? The pain lingered in his chest for a bit before Janne once again broke the silence.

“Oh thank crystals!” He stretches his muscles over his head with a grunt, “I’m starving and never got a good night sleep yesterday! Yew, can you be on kitchen duty?”

“What why me?”

“Because the food is always great when you cook and I don’t want any of Nikolai’s ‘balanced diets for growing cavaliers’.” He emphasizes by poorly mimicking the adult with a low voice and using his hand to pull up two strands of his bangs.

“My dinners are healthy and good for you. Fighter need all the strength they can get and a constant flow of meat is just going to get you sick.”

“But the wolf is a carnivore and needs meat to keep us strong, therefore, Yew cooks.” Janne joke as he leaves the conversation and lays in the tent.

“Master Yew, I sometimes regret the day you decided to give us all those animal nicknames. I believe Janne just uses it as an excuse to ‘Be the lone wolf’ most of the time.” Nikolai stated, holding the tent open.

“Sorry,” Yew scratches his cheek nervously. “But they names fit us so well!”

“I forlornly cannot disprove that fact.” The man playfully shakes his head and enters the tent.

Yew stands awkwardly outside the tent and rock on the balls of his feet.

“I’ll just get started on dinner… I guess.” He calls to the inside of the tent as he gets a fire started for the food.

Inside of the tent the two spies of the empire were having a meeting about their so-called new recruit. Janne was sitting straight with his legs crossed on the floor while Nikolai sat in the plush chair in the corner. The two talked in hushed voices so Yew wouldn’t hear them.

“Do you really think he’s actually on our side?” The Bishop started with a stone expression on his face.

The teen tautens his eyebrows together before giving his respond in a reserved and cold manner. “I don’t know. There is a chance that in a response to my betrayal that he might be doing the same thing to us in the end.”

“I’d prefer not to hurt Master Yew, but if it does come to that we’ll have to neutralize him." The man states solemnly. "I'd rather it be either of us than any of the others."

The young swordsman adverts his eye to the carpet, obstructing the top half his face with his dark bangs from his collaborator. “It’s too early right now to know for sure, but if it comes to that I’ll do it. You care too much about him to kill him.”

The small declaration resonated strongly within both of them. If the situation ever came to be so drastic then they know what they must do, yet what they will do is somewhat unclear. They both know that they’ll do their best to accomplish their mission, yet the just the imagined prospect of the small boy’s crying face with a sword pointed at them triggered violent emotions in them.

“How about you?” The man enquired, wearily hunching over his seat. “I know that you’d never tell him about the truth about yourself.”

Janne clenches his fist in his lap, gritting his teeth together before he responded in a tight voice. “No.”

Nikolai sighs. “And I can also assume correctly that you won’t tell him about the reason you befriended him?”

“What about you, Oldman?” he teen hissed through his teeth.

“I guess your answer is the same. He really does have a way with people, it’s very dangerous.”

“Who ever said I cared about him?!” Janne broke in a hushed growl.

He put his hand up in a calming jester as his shoulder shake in amusement. “I’m getting older, but that just means I’m also a great deal wiser Janne. I know what he does to you when you let your guard down.”

“I don’t like what you’re implying.” Teal eyes glare at the other person in front of him sharply.

“No, no. It’s not a bad thing. It’s good that you can act your age around him and not a warrior. You are young Janne with your whole life ahead, but if you forget that you’ll lose it.”

“Oh.” Janne breaths as he calm’s down, reverting back to his previous stoic position.

“Did you perhaps think I was inquiring about something else?” Nikolai laughs heartily

“What?! No!”

“Janne I believe that you thought I meant-”

“Hey, guys!” Yew calls as he entered the lavish tent. “I decided to make something simple, so I’m almost done with supper. Do you two mind getting the plates set up?”

Nikolai smiles at Yew before happily agreeing, already getting the tableware out from the box next to him. Janne follows his lead and stands to go over to the bag of silverware. The undersized teenager strolls next to the lone wolf, looking everywhere but his face before asking, “What were you talking about in here before I came in.”

Janne glances from the edges of his eyes before putting on a believable spirited jeer. “You know the Oldman, always getting on my case about how I was ‘irresponsible’ again.”

Yew nods uncertainly, obviously not fully convinced by the statement, but decides to not push it any further.

“Oh Janne, Master-”

“Just call me Yew from now on. You probably shouldn’t call me that anymore anyways, Sir Nikolai. I don’t think I’m worth being called the master of anything anymore.” He laughs timidly, fiddling with the corner of the guard apparel.

The bishop and fencer obviously frown at that minuscule statement, but hastily lapse back to their original expressions.

“I see. So be it Yew, but then you must drop the “Sir” in my title.” He retorts with a soft beam.

The brunet eagerly nods his head in compliance.

“Whatever, now what were you going to say, Oldman?”

Nikolai faces both of them as he stands up from his chair with the plates in hand. “Ah yes. A small airship shall be outside the forest tomorrow at dawn, being in charge by Bella. We’ll take the ship straight to HQ and report to the Kaiser. So get plenty of rest after dinner you two.” 

**Author's Note:**

> There NEEDS to be more of a fandom for this pair! I'm fine with the cannon ship, but theses two are perfect! so I'm just going to spend the next few months writing fan-fiction and drawing fan-art for this OTP.


End file.
